Narcos star Boyd Holbrook may be at the height of his career, but the actor has revealed that it was his devastating breakup with his ex-fiance Elizabeth Olsen on the day his best friend died that prompted him to dedicate last year to work.

The 34-year-old, who shows off his Southern good looks in the online magazine Mr Porter, detailed the personal struggles he faced after Elizabeth, 26, ended their six-month engagement over the phone on the same day that he learned his close friend, fashion photographer David Armstrong, had died of liver cancer at the age of 60.

'After all that, man, I just wanted to work,' he told the publication. 'I was like, let’s do it. You and me. Let’s go. Let’s head-butt.'

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Strike a pose: Boyd Holbrook can be seen modeling a black Dries Van Noten wool-satin blazer in a new shoot for the online magazine Mr Porter

Sad year: Boyd told the publication that he threw himself into his work in 2015 after his engagement with Elizabeth Olsen ended up on the same day he learned his best friend David Armstrong had died

Boyd plays Steve Murphy, an American Drug Enforcement Administration agent, in the Netflix series Narcos, which chronicles the rise and all of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.

And while the show's intriguing plot may have seemed destined to succeed, Boyd admitted that he was surprised about what a critically-acclaimed success it has become.

'That show blew up, like, 100 per cent more than I was expecting,' he said. However, he noted that the true life story is far from predictable.

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Heartbreak: Boyd revealed last month that Elizabeth, 26, had ended their engagement over the phone in early 2015 after three years of dating

Gritty role: The 34-year-old plays Steve Murphy, an American Drug Enforcement Administration agent in the Netflix series Narcos, which chronicles the rise and all of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar

'I mean, you couldn’t make a lot of this s**t up,' he said. 'At one point [Escobar’s] Medellín Cartel were making so much money that they didn’t know what to do with it, so they came up with the bright idea of digging holes in the ground and burying it.

'They buried, like, $27 million in cash, but they didn’t wrap it up properly, so when they came back to retrieve the money, it had all just decomposed.'

The Kentucky native, who considers himself a 'blue-collar guy from hillbilly Appalachia, looks far more refined his his recent photoshoot, which sees him modeling a brushed cashmere coat by Theory and an Olivier Spencer pleated cotton-flannel suit and trousers.

Ruggedly handsome: The former model is pictured wearing a cashmere sweater from The Elder Statesman and a denim button-down the Brunello Cucinelli

Critically acclaimed: Boyd admitted that he was surprised about the success of his Netflix series, which was nominated for a Golden Globe this year

In another image, Boyd smolders in a Lanvin bomber jacket and 1970s Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers as he leans against a wall with his hands in his trousers pockets.

Boyd launched his career at a local theater, following the advice fellow Kentucky native and actor Michael Shannon, who told him to find any work at a theater he could.

While working at the local establishment, Boyd was approached by a woman who asked if he wanted to model. Before he got into acting, boy modeled for the likes of Hedi Slimane and Dior Homme.

Fashionable start: Before he broke into acting, Boyd worked as a professional model, starring in campaigns for several high-end brands, including Dior

Superstar: Boyd plays Steve Murphy, an American Drug Enforcement Administration agent, in the critically-acclaimed Netflix series Narcos, which chronicles the rise and all of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar

When he was in his early twenties he sent a script to his favorite directors Gus Van Sant, hoping that he would take on his project. And while that never happened, the director did give him a small part in his 2008 film Milk, allowing Boyd to give his first on-screen line to Sean Penn.

Boyd said the legendary actor is still one of his greatest influences, along with his other former co-stars Liam Neeson and Christian Bale.

The blonde stunner appears on the big screen again alongside Natalie Portman in the highly-anticipated Western Jane Got A Gun, which hit theaters on Friday.

'I have this image of myself as kinda like the Energizer Bunny,' he said of his momentum and past failures. 'I get knocked down and I pop right back up.'